Fire-escape ladder



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. O. ELLIS. FIRE BSGAPB LADDER.

N0.'519,499. Patented May 8, 1894.

8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' w. 0. ELLIS.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

(No Model.)

Patented'May 8, 1894.

-FIG-2- lgxyeglF (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 3.

w. 0. ELLIS.

- 7 FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. I

No. 519,499. Patented May 8, 1894.

FIG-4- lxyacglr W/QEZZLG I a fire-escape ladder embodying my invention,the ladder being extended. Fig. 2 is a sitni-- UNITED STATES PATENT Fce. 1

,WIATT ORVILL ELL'IS', F .TEKOA, AssIeNoR To DAVID. B. KEAGY, or

FARMINGTON, WASHINGTON.

FIRE-ESCAPESLADDER.

' SPECIFICATION fma m of Letters Patent :No. 519,499, dated May 8, 1894.

Application filed'llfl ust 31, 1893. semi No. 484,494. (No model.)

To all whom it may 00mm.-

Be it known that I, WIATT ORVILL in the county of Whitman and State ofWashlngton, have invented anew and useful Fire- Escape Ladder, of whichthe following isa specification.

My invention relates to an improved fire-escape ladder, and itcontemplates the provision of a jointed ladder adapted to be; wound upona drum which operates automatically to reel the same; furthermore, theprovision of means whereby the entire fire-escape maybe rotated toenable the upper end of the ladder to be adjusted without altering thepositions of the trucks; furthermore, the provision of anautomatically-adj ustable landing which is held in operative relation tothe jointed ladder in all positions of the latter; and furthermore, theprovision of simple and elficient means for transporting, operating andbracing the parts of the improved fire-escape.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.- In the drawings:Figure 1 isa side view of lar view with the ladder reeled. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical section of the device with the ladder reeled. Fig. 4 isa rear view. Fig. 5 is a plan view. Fig. 6 is a detail view of twoconnected sections of the ladder. Y

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor-.

- ings.

1 designates asupporting framework, which is connected by means ofsprings 2, to the trucks 3, and upon said framework is swiveled therotary-platform 4. Carried by this plat form is a verticalframe orstructure provided at its top with a fixed landing 5, and a slidable oradj ustable portion 6, which overlaps an intermediate portion of thefixed landing, and is provided with eyes 7 fitted upon parallel guides8. Connected to this movable por tion of'the landing are adjustingweights 9, whereby said adjustable portion is normally drawn toward thefront of the'structure.

E rs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tekoa,

ina direction to reel the jointed ladder thereupon. Such laddercomprises an extended terminal section:16, and a series of con-'nectedshorter sections 1 7, the contiguous ends .of which are connectedby means. of hinges 18. To strengthen the construction of the ladder Ihave also provided tension 'cables19, arranged'respectively upon theouter sides of the side-bars of the sections and extending continuouslyfrom one end of the ladder to the other; The cables are preferably ofwire,

and at each joint between connectedsections it is cross-looped aroundlaterally-projecting studs 20, carried respectively by contiguous endsof the sections. The studs arecarried by plates 21, secured to theside-bars .close to their meeting ends, and the crossloops 22, abovereferred to, are formed by carrying the cable across the joint betweenthe sections, around the stud 20 carried by the far section, backwardlyacross the joint, and aroundthe near studand again across the joint tothe succeeding. ladder section. In,

this'way each joint between the connected sections forming the ladder istied, thus relieving the strain upon the hinges or other.

pivotal connections and guarding against accident in caseof in ury toany, of these con- J nections. It will be noted that the intervalbetween the cross-bars .13, of the drum correspond with the lengths ofthe sections 17,

. .9 compactly around the drum. The inner ter minal section 23 ispivotally connected'to the ,whereby when'the ladder is reeled it folds.drum' by: means of a pivot-rod 24, whereby the drum-forms the basefor-the ladderfand being located below the plane of the landing, is outof the way of those ascendingand .de-

scend-ing, as will'beclearly understood'when' thei-nventionis more fullyexplained.

25 represents an operating cable, which is .reeled around the drum uponthe outer side IOO upper end of the yoke, a second vertically disposedidle pulley 29 also carried by the yoke, and a guidepulley 30, which ismounted upon the upright'frame of the ladder, andis connected to aWindlass 31. This cable being reeled upon the drum in the same directionas the. ladder, and in an opposite direc tion to the spring, it will beunderstood that by reeling the opposite end of the-cord by means of theWindlass the drum will be turneding in :"EL direction to unreel thecords wound thereupon. The stretcher-frame is adapted to inclineupwardly toward its free end and bear against the end of the landing5,when the ladder is in its operative position.

Pivotally connected to the rotary platform .at its rearend is a brace39, provided at its free endwith a cross-timber 40, provided withterminal studs 41, and ground-ladders 42 are. hinged to the rear edge ofthe landing and, are held in an inclined position by the said brace, asclearly shown in Fig. 1.

The rotary platform is provided concentric i with its pivot with asprocket-wheel 48, aroun d j.

which and acorresponding sprocket 44 at the rear end of the supportingframework 1 extends .a chain 45, the sprocket 44 being carried by avertical spindle adprovided'witha v hand-Wheel 47. By this :means therotary platform, withthe superstructure above de-- scribed, can be.rotated freely by anoperative 1 to arrange the top of the ladder in thede-- sired position with relation toa building without altering theposition of the trucks uponi which the supportingframework is mounted. 1

With theparts in the folded position, shown in Fig. 2, the ladder may beextended .by; slacking the guy-ropes and reeling the oper-;

ati-ng-cables upon the Windlass .31. As the ladder ascends itsinclination may beadjust- 1 ed by tightening or loosening the-guy-ropes, I and the adjustable section 6 'of the landing,

which isprovided with an anti-friction roller 4.8, will maintain contactwith the laddersand thus form an unbroken communication between the.same and stationary part of the landing. To reel the ladder theguy-ropes should be slackened slightly and the windlass 3-1 released inorder to enable the actuating spring to rotate the drum. The slack ofthe guy-ropes must be taken up by means of the Windlass 36 as the ladderdescends.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combinationwith a supporting framework, of a rotary platform, an elevated landingcarried by said platform, ground-ladders depending from the landing, anextensible ladder arranged adjacent to the landing, and meansforeperating the ladder, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a platform, ofvan elevated landing providedwithsan "adjustable section,means connected to said section to extendthe same, a drum, a sectional ladder reeled upon the drum, and means foroperating saidpparts,substantially as specified.

3. The combination with aniupright framework, of a drum, asectionalladder connected tosaid drum to be reeled 1thereon,an=actuatingspringconnected to the drum to rotate the latter inadirectionto reel the ladder, and means for "rotating the drum'in anopposite direction and for bracing the ladder in its extended position,substantially as :sp'ecilied. i

4. In a fire escape, the combination of a spring-actuated "drum, yajointed ladder connected to the drumto be reeled thereon, and operatingand bracing devices connected to said parts, substantially as specified.

5.. The combination with .a :firamework, an elevated landing, anextensible ladder iterminating atsaidiandi-ng, and means foreirtendingand folding theladdelgof ground-ladders pivotally connected at theirupperextremities to the said landing, and a brace 39 sadjustablyconnected to the framework and adapted to engage said .ladders neartheir lower ends to hold them in inclined 'oroperative positions,substantially as specified.

6. A sectional ladder having the contigu- -ous ends of itssectionshinged together, and a tension cablesecured to the side-bars of thesections and cross-looped over the said joints or connections,substantially as specified.

7. A sectional ladder having its sectionshinged together, lateral studscarried respectively by the contiguous ends of connected sections,and acontinuous tension cablear *ramged upon eachasideof the ladderandcrosslooped aroundsaid stud-s at each joint, sub stantially asxspecified.

8.. The combination with a supporting frame, of a rotary drum providedwith an actuating spring, a jointed ladder reeled upon said drum,bracing devices connected to the ladder, a swinging yoke carrying aroller to bear against the ladder as it leaves the drum, an. operatingcable carried around guide-pulleys upon said yoke and connected to thedrum, and means for reeling and. unreeling 5 the operating cable's,substantially as speeie t r In testimony that I claim the fore oing asthe presence 'ef two witnesses. WIATT ORVIIJL ELLIS.

I my own I have hereto affixed my'signature in t Witnesses:

v DAVID B: KEAGY, I GUST. RENDSOHMIDT.

